Glazing clips



GLAZING CLIPS John. F. Hirtz and Arthur. Pffienhach, Watertown, Wis assignors to Syncromatic Corporation, Watertcwn, Wis., a corporationof wisconsin Application January 6, 1956, Serial No. 557,894

1 Claim. (G1. 20--56.4)

This invention relates to the art of glazing and refers more particularly to improvements in glazing clips for retaining a pane of glass in a sash frame.

Heretofore it has been conventional glazing practice to secure a glass pane in a wooden window sash frame by means of flat triangular or diamond shaped glazing points which are driven part way into the sash to fiatwise overlie the pane. Putty applied to the junction of the sash frame and pane seals the same and also covers andconceals the glazing points and cooperates with them in' holding the pane against displacement. Several disadvantages attend the use of such glazing points, not the least of which is the inconvenience of urging them into the wood of the sash frame while they fiatwise overlie the pane, the points being relatively thin and the glass fragile.

Of course, such points cannot be used with metalsash, but the various securement devices and clips commonly employed with metal frames likewise possess serious dis-' advantages. Usually they require that the sash frame have some special configuration by which the clips are held in place, and hence they are incapable of general utility with frames of all types.

By contrast, it is an object of the present invention to provide a versatile glazing clip, useful for securing window panes of difierent thicknesses in various types of sash frames, both wood and metal.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a clip, several of which may be subassembled to edge portions of a fiat panel, such as a pane of glass, and by means of which the panel may be secured in a frame merely by flatwise insertion of the panel into the frame.

A further object of this invention resides in the pro vision of a glazing clip for securely holding a pane of glass in a sash or frame, which clip is not dependent upon any peculiar shape of the frame or sash for the security of the connection which it afiords but is capable of use with both wood and metal sashes and frames of various shapes, and which clip, furthermore, will anchor itself more securely to the frame as the force tending to displace the pane is increased.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a very simple and rugged glazing clip which achieves all of the above stated objects and which, move over, is extremely simple to manufacture by reason of the fact that it can be readily fabricated from a single piece of somewhat springy strip metal.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete 2,854,709 7 Patentedoct. 7,, 1958 example of, the physical embodiment of the, invention constructed according to the bestmode so far devised for the practical application ofthe principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective viewof a sash having a pane of'glass secured'therein by means ofthe glazing clip of this invention;

EigureZ is a perspective view'of. the. glazing clip per se of this invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing. a pane of glass held in place in a-metal'sash by means, of the clip of this invention; and

Fi ure 4 is a view similar to FigureB-but showingthe I clip of this invention securing a pane ofjgl'assl in a wooden sash frame. Y j

Referring now more particularly-to the accompanying drawings, in which like numeralsv designate. like' parts throughout the several views, the numeral. 5. designates generally a sash, in this instance shown. asr compri'sing a metal frame 6 formed of angle members having. an L-shaped cross. section, and' with a pane. 7 of glass. secured in the frame by clips 8 of this invention.

The inwardly projecting legs of theyangle memberslie in the same. plane and-cooperate to provide aflat supporting surface 9 to flatwise receive the pane 7,,while the other legs of'the angle members. provide a rim or shoulder 10 extending around the. edges of the pane, substantially normal thereto. As is usual,. the pane is slightly smaller than the sashframe, sothatthere issmall space between each. edge- 11. of'the pane andlits adjacentv frame shoulder 10, and: this space accommodates the clips 8; i

Each of the clips is formed from a strip. of resilient metal, such. as a somewhat springy, steel,,tl:ie --clipsibeing so shaped as hereinafter described); that. they, may. .be formed by stampingthem out ,ofgasingle strip .end'wise adjacent to one. another, without waste. Eachiclip, is bent to have a substantially U-s'haped clamping portion 12 the legs of which provide opposite inner and outer resilient jaws 13 and 14 flatwise opposing one another but converging away from the bight 15 of the clamp, and between which the marginal edge portion of a pane of glass may be clampingly engaged. It will be apparent that the normal convergence of the resilient jaws'toward their free ends enables the clip to accommodate itself to glass panes of various thicknesses and to hold a pane inserted between the jaws under clamping bias.

The clip also features an integral anchoring leg 16 bent outwardly and downwardly from the extremity of the outer jaw 14 on the clamp. The anchoring leg 16 of the clip projects downwardly beyond the bight 15 of the clamp, and it is sharply pointed at its free end, which is preferably bifurcated to provide a pair of spaced apart prongs 20.

When one or more clips are clamped to each marginal edge portion of a pane of glass, with the bights of the clips engaged with the edge of the pane, the pane may be pushed fiatwise into the rim of 'its frame, and as it is moved into place toward the supporting surface 9, the pointed end of the anchoring leg 16, by its engagement with the shoulder 10 of the frame, will be sprung away from the outer jaw 14 of the clamp as may be readily seen in Figures 1 and 3. Hence the points 20 of the bifurcations will bite into the shoulder 10 of the frame, securely resisting movement of the pane away from the supporting surface 9. Because the anchoring leg is disposed at an acute angle to the jaw 14 and hence also to the face of the pane, and has its free end bitingly engaged with the shoulder of the frame under spring force, any force imposed upon the inner face of the pane will increase the force with which the points 20 on the anchoring leg bite into the shoulder 10 to resist such displacement. The two points 20 on the anchoring leg aiford greater stability for the clip than would be the case if only a single point were provided, although of course, the anchoringrleg may have any other pointed configuration which will enable it to bitingly engage the shoulder.

The small spaces between the edges 11 of the pane and the shoulder 10 may be sealed with putty, as at 21, in the conventional manner. There will also be a small gap 22 between the inner face of the pane and the supporting surface 9, resulting from the interposition of the inner jaw 13 of the clip therebetween, and this may likewise be sealed with putty, as at 23, or for instance, by applying a film of caulking compound to the surface 9 upon which the pane seats.

, The clip of this invention may be used without modification in a wooden frame 6' (see Figure 4). In this case the inner putty seal may, if desired, be replaced by a suitable molding 21, which may be nailed or otherwise secureddirectly to the shoulder 10 therebeneath.

The free end portion of the inner jaw 13 of the clip is preferably triangular, as shown, to thus provide the bifurcations of the anchoring leg of the next adjacent clip in the strip of stock from which the clips are formed, although it may have any other desired configuration. The jaw 13 is also preferably longer than the outer jaw 14, to' facilitate spreading of the jaws when they are applied to the edge portions of a glass pane.

From the foregoing description taken together with the accompanying drawings it will be readily apparent that this invention provides a simple, inexpensive and versatile glazing clip useful for securing window panes or any other flat panels in various types of frames, both wood and metal, and which requires no special tools for its installation.

'We claim;

Means for securing a panel in a frame having inner uniplanar supporting surfaces which the panel flatwise overlies and outwardly extending shoulder surfaces substantially normal to said supporting surfaces and extending around the panel, spaced slightly from its edges, said securing means comprising: a resilient substantially U- shaped clamp having flatwise opposing inner and outer jaws that normally converge in a direction away from the bight of the clamp and which are adapted to cooperate in tightly clamping an edge portion of a panel between them with the bight of the clamp contiguous to the edge of the panel, said inner jaw being longer than the outer jaw and being adapted for flat engagement with said supporting surface, and the outer end portion of said inner jaw having edges which converge to a single point at the extremity of said inner jaw; an anchoring leg which is normally straight and closely flatwise overlies said outer jaw, substantially parallel thereto, and integrally joined to said outer jaw at its extremity, the free end portion of said anchoring leg extending beyond the bight of the clamp a distance sufficient to assure flatwise deflection of the leg outwardly away from the outer jaw as a consequence of trailing engagement of the end of the leg with the outwardly extending shoulder surface of a frame during installation of the panel in the frame so that said anchoring leg will lie at an acute angle to the outer jaw, diverging therefrom toward the bight end of the clamp, when the panel is in place in the frame; and the outer end of said anchoring leg having a V- shaped notch therein complementary in shape to said point on the extremity of the inner jaw, said notch defining a pair of sharp spaced apart stabilizing points at the extremity of the anchoring leg, which points are adapted to bite into the outwardly extending shoulder surface of the frame in which the panel is installed and anchor the panel against llatwise movement away from its supporting surface in the frame more securely as the force tending to displace the panel outwardly is increased.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 4,958 Great Britain Mar. 21, 1889 298,111 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1928 580,293 Great Britain Sept. 3. 1946 

